This invention relates to a system management apparatus and a method for use in a network system, which may be provided in a business organization, for managing serial numbers and users of respective devices (e.g., computers or the like) in the system on a user basis and/or a subordinate organization basis.
A network system, comprising a plurality of computers connected via a network, has been used in the art to perform data processing, data transfers and the like. In general, system management operations in such a system have been performed by associating information unique to devices (constituents of the system) with users and subordinate organizations that possess the devices respectively.
For example, Japanese Patent Publications, identified in Japanese as Tokkai sho 63-114337, Tokkai hei 4-79446, Tokko hei 1-16066 and Tokko hei 7-44541 (References 1 to 4), disclose electronic mail schemes and data transfer schemes, each exploiting such a network system. However, these References merely disclose methods for associating destinations and routes of mails (data) with subordinate organizations of users and names thereof. In another words, none of the References discloses a method of automatically managing information of devices in association with users and subordinate organizations.
In view of the aforementioned problems of the prior art, it is an object of this invention to provide a system management apparatus and a method for use in a network system, comprising a plurality of devices such as computers connected via a network, which are capable of automatically managing device information unique to each of the devices in association with subordinate organizations possessing the devices and users thereof.
It is an object of the invention to automatically manage device data unique to each of the devices that constitutes a network system in association with users of devices and subordinate organizations that possess the devices.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system management apparatus and a method, for automatically creating a database for managing device information relating to each of the devices (constituents of a network system), thereby to reduce system administrator""s efforts required for system management operations.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a system management apparatus and a method, which cause a database for managing device information relatung to each of the devices (constituents of a network system) to be interlocked or collaborated with another database for managing information of subordinate organizations possessing the devices and users thereof, whereby a change in a user and/or a subordinate organization is automatically reflected in the device information of each device in a way to facilitate maintenance and management of the device information.
In order to accomplish said objects of this invention, there is provided a first system management apparatus, for use in a system including one or more managed devices for managing a device data item of each of said managed devices, which comprises an information database for storing one or more information data items, each having a keyword data item; a device database for storing one or more device data items, each being unique to each of said managed devices, and for storing each of said keyword data items in association with each of said device data items; and data change/management means, being responsive to a change in a given one of said information data items, for changing a given one of said device data items, stored in said device database in association with said keyword data item of said given one of said information data items, consistent with said change in said given one of said information data items, thereby managing said device data items of said managed devices.
Further in accordance with another aspect of this invention, there is provided a second system management apparatus for use in a system including one or more managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said second system management apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item. Said second system management apparatus is adapted for managing a device data item of each of said managed devices, and it comprises an information database for storing one or more information data items, each having said keyword data item; a device database for storing said device data items of said managed devices respectively, and for storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively; device change detecting means for scanning each of said managed devices, said device change detecting means, being responsive to said device data item and said keyword data item returned from each of said managed devices, for detecting a device change that includes a change in a given one of said managed devices and/or a change in a given one of said device data items; and, first device database updating means for updating said device data item and said keyword data item, stored in said device database and assigned to a given one of said managed devices, consistent with said detected device change.
Preferably, said information data item and said device data partly overlap each other, and said first or second system management apparatus further comprises second device database updating means for updating the overlapped portion of said device data item, stored in said device database and assigned to a given one of said managed devices, consistent with said information data item which is stored in said information database and which has said keyword data item associated with said device data item to be updated. Preferably, said information data item represents an information item of a user of said managed device, said keyword data item represents a user of said managed device, and said device A data item includes at least a portion of an information item of a user of said managed device.
In an exemplary environment where a plurality of computers having peripheral devices such as printers (managed devices) are connected via a network for communicating with each other via the network, each of said first and second system management apparatuses automatically updates and manages contents of a database (device database), which stores and manages device data items uniquely assigned to the managed devices, such as manufacturer""s serial numbers (serial numbers), identification numbers of users (employee numbers), organizational numbers (organizational codes) of users"" subordinate organizations and the like, in association with contents of another database (information database), which stores and manages identification numbers of users and information items relating to users"" subordinate organizations.
In a typical case where changes of users (i.e., personnel changes occur due to renewal of subordinate organizations and such changes give rise to changes in the information database, said data change/management means of said first system management apparatus uses employee numbers or the like of data items relating to the changed users as keywords (keyword data items), which are commonly stored in the device database and the information database respectively, retrieves device data items of computers that were used by the users who left their subordinate organizations from those data items stored in the device database, and then changes such device data items of computers found as a result of the retrieval so as to make such device data items consistent with contents of the changed information database. Thus, said data change/management means replaces the employee numbers or the like of device data items of computers that were used by the users who left their subordinate organizations with other employee numbers or the like of other users who are newly added due to the personnel changes, thereby preventing any disagreement or inconsistency between contents of the device database and the information database.
Further, in said second system management apparatus of this invention, a device data item is assigned to each of the computers (managed devices) respectively, and each of the computers has functions for transmitting the assigned device data item to said second system management apparatus via said network in response to a request therefrom. Said first device database updating means issues a request to each of the computers via the network for transmitting a device data item at a specified time (e.g., at the time of starting system operations, after starting the system operation, at periodical intervals, or in response to a system administrator""s action), detects addition/removal of a computer to/from the network system or any setup change for computers, and then changes contents of the device database consistent with the detected changes. Thus, said first device database updating means periodically adds a device data item of a newly added computer into the device database, erases a device data item of a removed computer, or changes device data items stored in the device database consistent with a device data item obtained from a computer subject to a setup change for causing the device data items to be consistent with those device data items actually set up for computers in the network system.
Further, in accordance with another aspect of this invention, there is provided a first system management method for use in a system including one or more managed devices for managing a device data item of each of said managed devices, which comprises the steps of: storing one or more information data items, each having a keyword data item; storing one or more device data items, each being unique to each of said managed devices, and storing each of said keyword data items in association with each of said device data items; and responsive to a change in a given one of said information data items, changing a given one of said device data items stored in said device database in association with said keyword data item of said given one of information data items, with said change in said given one of information data items, thereby managing said device data items of said managed devices.
Further, in accordance with another aspect of this invention, there is provided a second system management method for use in a system including one or more managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing a device data item of each of said managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said system management apparatus communicate each other via a network, each of said managed devices has a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item. Said second system management method comprises the steps of: storing one or more information data items, each having said keyword data item; storing said device data items of said managed devices respectively, and storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively; scanning each of said managed devices and, responsive to said device data item and said keyword data item returned from each of said managed devices, detecting a device change that includes a change in a given one of said managed devices and/or a change in a given one of said device data items; and updating said device data item and said keyword data item stored in said device database and assigned to a given one of said managed devices, consistent with said detected device change.
Further in accordance with another aspect of this invention, there is provided a first machine readable storage medium for storing a program adapted for use in a system including one or more managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing a device data item of each of said managed devices. Said program is executable by a computer for causing said system management apparatus to carry out machine-effected steps of: storing one or more information data items, each having a keyword data item; storing one or more device data items, each being unique to each of said managed devices, and storing each of said keyword data items in association with each of said device data items; and responsive to a change in a given one of said information data items, changing a given one of said device data items, which is stored in said device database in association with said keyword item of said given one of information data items, consistent with said change in said given one of information data items, thereby managing said device data items of said managed devices.
Further, in accordance with another aspect of this invention, there is provided a second machine readable storage medium for storing a program adapted for use in a system including one or more managed devices and a system management apparatus for managing a device data item of each of said managed devices, wherein said managed devices and said system management apparatus communicate with each other via a network, each of said managed devices having a unique device data item and a keyword data item assigned thereto, and each of said managed devices being responsive to a scanning operation via said network for returning said assigned device data item and keyword data item. Said program is executable by a computer for causing said system management apparatus to carry out machine-effected steps of: storing one or more information data items, each having said keyword data item; storing said device data items of said managed devices respectively, and storing said keyword data items in association with said device data items respectively; scanning each of said managed devices and, responsive to said device data item and said keyword data item returned from each of said managed devices, detecting a device change that includes a change in a given one of said managed devices and/or a change in a given one of said device data items; and updating said device data item and said keyword data item, which are stored in said device database and are assigned to a given one of said managed devices, consistent with said detected device change.